The other night I watched the "Harry Truman" special on PBS. There were a couple of significant railroad references. One was the nationwide railroad workers strike of 1946. Harry threaten to have all the strikers "drafted"
into the US Army (and he meant it!) but the strike was settled peacefully.

The scenes that really caught my attention were after "Ike" was elected and Harry headed home to Missouri. The first scene shows him & Bess departing Washington D.C. on the B&O National Limited. Great shot of them
on the rear deck of the observation car as the train slowly pulls out.

Next, they cut to Harry arriving back home in Missouri. A beautiful MoPac Alco PA-1 glides by. Even in B&W the 1952 MoPac paint scheme looked gorgeous.

That prompted me to look for an example of one of those MoPac Alco PA1's and
I came across this stunning photo at the MoPac historical society site:


Wow!

Does anyone know where (in 1952) he would changed trains (from the B&O to MoPac)?

Ralph, one would think the National Limited's western terminus would be at Cincinnati, but it was at St Louis, and that is no doubt where Harry and Bess met the MoPac.
Harry and Bess Truman were very popular in this area, it would be beyond belief now, but back in the day they used to DRIVE home on occasion!
He used Rt 40, and had a favorite stop for eating at a place near Grantsville, MD., which is near Cumberland. He was well liked by the folks at the restaurant, and I can recall a photo in the Cumberland newspaper of a smiling Harry and Bess getting in the Chrysler, after leaving the eatery for the rest of the trip home!

The photo is just what you said it is..fabulous! What a time in railroading. Can you imagine, anyone looking at this back then would have thought the future of passenger rail in the US would be unlimited. How could the engineer of the passenger train pulling out there have thought anything else?
Here he sat, in nearly new equipment, all the late model units around in the yard..my goodness, what a time that must have been.

Ed

Harry Truman and his wife Bess would have changed trains at St. Louis where both railroads met.

Most likely for that trip home to Independence MO, he and Mrs. Truman were riding in a B&O office car. It would have been transferred from the B&O National Limited as it arrived in St. Louis to a Missouri Pacific train (Missouri River Eagle?) for Kansas City. Such transferred cars were usually held at an MP station just west of St. Louis Terminal rather than in the terminal itself. Once the Trumans were home, the office car would be deadheaded back to St. Louis by MP for the B&O.

Not much later in the 1950's B&O and MP jointly operated sleepers through St. Louis. One ran from Jersey City to Wichita KS. Frisco and Katy were two other St. Louis-connecting roads B&O shared with through sleeper service from Jersey City and Washington DC to San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.

B&O through sleeper service reached farther west to Los Angeles and San Diego via Santa Fe at Chicago. The New York Central and the Pennsylvania also had similar service. For a few years, the longest through sleeper run was by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It went from New York City to Mexico City via St. Louis MO, San Antonio and Laredo in Texas; Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey, San Luis Potosi and Mexico City DF in Mexico.

Ed Bommer

In addition to O gauge model railroading and collecting railroadiana, I also collect Truman items, as President Truman has been a lifelong hero of mine. As often as possible, I try to focus my attention on "crossover" items that concern Truman and railroads. A couple of years ago I came into possession of a set of train orders outlining the movements of a Baltimore and Ohio train that Truman's car was attached to on a trip he made from Washington to Philadelphia in 1950. The towerman at Philadelphia forwarded the orders to the White House with a request that Truman autograph them. He obliged, signing the last page "Thanks for the service, Harry S Truman" I was fortunate that his letter, the letter from the President's secretary, pictures of the towerman, and the article from the B&O magazine concerning the autograph were all together. It's probably my favorite item in my collection.

Also, if memory serves, Truman also worked briefly as a section boss for the Santa Fe shortly after his graduation from high school.

Tom

Truman enjoyed riding the engine and enjoyed the company of the railroaders he encountered on his train trips.

Tom, I can't imagine Harry being a Section Boss just out of high school but nothing is impossible. His image just gets better with time. He was thrust into the presidency complete unprepared by his own admission but thru hard work came up to the challenge. A true American.Ed

quote:

Originally posted by brasman:
... A true American.Ed

And a REAL President, which we have yet to have in the late 20th century, or even the 21st century.

quote:

Originally posted by brasman:
Tom, I can't imagine Harry being a Section Boss just out of high school but nothing is impossible. His image just gets better with time. He was thrust into the presidency complete unprepared by his own admission but thru hard work came up to the challenge. A true American.Ed

I agree. I don't remember reading anything about him railroading for pay, and his poor eyesight and small stature were not a natural fit on the section crew.

Regardless, he was undeniably altruistic, took no nonsense from bullies, and never forgot that he was just a citizen who served his country in Washington for a period.

I checked my copy of "Truman", by David McCullough, and I didn't see any reference to him working for the railroads. And if anyone has ever read a biography by McCullough, he is extremely thorough.

quote:

never forgot that he was just a citizen who served his country in Washington for a period.

Tom..that is very true..would more of the dolts in congress now robbing the "piggy" bank remember that. Of course, term limits would help.

Ed

quote:

Tom, I can't imagine Harry being a Section Boss just out of high school but nothing is impossible.

And you're right, of course. I went back and checked my refernces, and for six months between 1902-03 Truman worked as a timekeeper for a construction company that was doing work for the Santa Fe near Kansas City, MO. This was cited in another biography, Man of the People by Alonzo Hamby. (p. 19)

That's what I get for writing first and checking later!!!

Tom

quote:

Truman", by David McCullough,

is what the TV special I watched was based on. I'm sure it will be on again and it's a joy to watch.

David McCullough is, without equivocation, the finest historical biographer we have. I want very much to see this documentary, for I'm sure it is excellent. However, do yourself a great treat and read McCullough's book. You will come away with a full understanding of Truman, his faults (minor, I think) and virtues. (great, I believe.)